seeking versus being

 

tilting toward order

Wordsworth wrote a poem that intrigues me,

as he asked William to explain

how he could sit alone, and dream away,

when there's so much to be done,

the seeking more vital than the being,

retirement's like that for me,

many advise that stopping work

leaves a void that needs to be filled

with more doing, more seeking,

that an absence of doing

leaves one vulnerable to obsolescence,

I contend there's truth in feeling right 

with our touch upon the world,

yet what we do must be 

consonant with who we are,

I have long expected

that in my final hours

I will need to justify my life to myself,

hugging myself with how I made a positive difference

with my time in the sun, with what I leave behind,

I want to be remembered

not because I've ticked off items on somebody's list,

rather I want to know

that who I am, who I was,

helped others be more who they are,

that more blocks built on each other,

that coherence increased,

that the universe strove more toward order with my help,

whatever we do with our lives

should mirror the simple truth

that complexity evolving is at the heart of who we should be,

like William, I am sitting alone while writing this,

and I hope my words are worth it.

by Henry H. Walker

February  27, ‘25